Dec 29 Shopping Morning: Sunny African Dining Room

This shopping morning was an extension of an earlier full decor project we did, the African-Colonial Lounge. Glass doors separate the beautifully redone lounge from a dark, odd shaped dining room which also leads out onto the veranda.

This space had to connect with the bright Colonial lounge in terms of look and feel, so we already had a good starting point. We also knew we wanted to work with gold or yellow, but there were two very distinct paths we could follow - a heavy, gloomy gentleman's club type of dining room and wine bar; or a bright and sunny extension of the outside area.

As is often the case, life has a way of making your decisions for you.

The client received a gift of perfect, tailor made white and yellow pinch pleat curtains from Hertex's Clifton range. As there is a large overhang onto the veranda, and not a lot of sun enters the room at all, getting sheer linen curtains would not be a problem in terms of sun damage.

All she needed now, was someone to help her shop for accessories and deal with the boring bits - painting and electrics.

So we threw around a couple of ideas

Played around with different light features

We took to the shops

And returned with a good blend of African artefacts and Colonial charm.

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Nipples. Let’s talk about the perky, pink wonders that hold unknown power and intrigue. Just to be clear, we’re talking about female nipples here. ⠀
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They’re a little like snowflakes in that no two are alike (even on the same woman, frustratingly) and no two women have the same feelings when looking at their own nipples. Hopefully, by the time you reach your thirties you have been blessed with either an adoring partner or nursing child to help you look on your own nipples tenderly, realising for yourself the importance of these tiny bits of flesh.⠀
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Nobody realises their importance more acutely than the woman who has lost one or both her nipples with a mastectomy. And perhaps, to an extent, Cara du Plessis who hand makes realistic adhesive prosthetic silicone nipples. ⠀
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“It’s something small,” says Cara, “but it can have an actual impact on someone’s life. The idea that this product could be that last bit of confidence a woman needs to say ‘Now I am done with breast cancer,’ means so much to me.”⠀
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Women who are able to afford breast reconstruction will often have it done during the mastectomy, but getting reconstructed nipples and tattoos means additional costs and further painful surgeries for them. Pain free and affordable nipples, however, was something Cara could make with confidence and it’s a place where the unique hand-made quality of each piece is a definite advantage. ⠀
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The long and the short of them⠀
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A pair of Perky Pinks will set a breast cancer survivor back a mere R1,999 and could last for years if taken care of properly. They come in three different sizes and five different shades. The adhesive is waterproof, meaning you can keep them on for 3 – 5 days and swim and shower with your gorgeous new nipples without the fuss of reapplying them daily. The set comes with 10 ml of FDA approved adhesive, suitable for sensitive skin; as well as a handy handbag-ready 5ml adhesive; application brush; 50 ml spray-on remover solution; alcoholic cleansing wipes and a booklet. ⠀
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For more information, or to purchase a pair, visit the Perky Pinks at buff.ly/2BFwObb

“And I wonder: Have I squandered my dogness?... Have I made a mistake by anticipating my future and shunning my present?” - The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein
#jolabokaflodclub

Well that’s finally done! Here’s to my newly established family Jolabokaflod-club. #books #reading “Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper.” - Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden

And here’s why we must all wear sunscreen. I can’t stress this enough.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.